A blue station wagon was pulled from the Ohio River at approximately 4:40 p.m. Wednesday after the lone male driver allegedly drove off the Ironton Boat Ramp nearly two hours earlier.

The driver of the Subaru GL with Scioto County license plates was

transported to Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital. At the time that he was transported, he was believed to still be alive, Patrolman Ned Crisp of the Russell Police Department said.

&uot;The survival rate goes up with the colder temperatures because it slows the body functions,&uot; he said. &uot;The emergency workers are not taking anything for granted.&uot;

A call was made around 3:05 p.m. that a vehicle had entered the water. Ironton Police Chief Bill Garland said witnesses stated that the vehicle came straight through the flood wall opening and drove directly into the water at a high rate of speed so that it appeared that it was intentional. However,

witnesses said that the driver allegedly attempted to exit the vehicle after it entered the water

The vehicle was last sighted about 60 yards down river before it became submerged.

Divers from the Flatwoods Fire Department’s dive team and members of the Worthington Fire Department searched the water for nearly an hour before the vehicle was located.

Emergency crews from nearly a dozen agencies in Kentucky and Ohio responded, including police and fire departments from Russell, Flatwoods, Ironton and Worthington.

Check tomorrow’s Ironton Tribune for the latest news.